The Twitterverse and ignorance in Baltimore

You might say I am late to the game on the situation in Baltimore . . . 

I disagree.  I think it was best to wait.

Like you, I looked at what people were saying.  At times Twitter had me nodding in agreement and then at other times want to throw at cat through a window.  Clearly, it was too early to draw conclusions.  Everyone was looking for a Tweetable thought.  Which means the thoughts were not the most thought-through-thoughts.  Trying to capture a moment when it is happening loses the importance of the moment.  What you say is more of a flashpoint . . . saying more about your own bias than what is really happening.   

For example, one of my friends posted: "they are like animals . . . just proving their stereotype."

Excuse me?  What stereotype would that be?  Perhaps it is proving your stereotype?  Some people would de-friend or unfollow such bigotry but I like to hope the future gives me influence over narrow minded racism.  One can only hope.

Or how about this: "If there is so much misery, unemployment and lack of opportunity for young people in Baltimore, how about MOVING!!!"

Tell me that doesn't sound like Marie Antoinette . . . 

I can't begin to fathom the lack of understanding about human nature this demonstrates.  There are a series of social, economic and educational forces that bring people to a point where they want to burn the place that they live.  This is truth we can't deny.  Of course that doesn't absolve the person who is doing it from personal responsibility.

Listen - every person who trashed downtown Baltimore last week made a conscious choice to do something really stupid, and no amount of racial, economic, social or political force makes a person make a really stupid choice.  And sometimes people cloak their desire to want to be a thug with something attractive like 'social justice.'

However . . . 

Even the most callous of us wants to figure out why someone would burn their own room down.  You are right to say that the looters are to blame for Baltimore, period.  But we can't stop at culpability - we have the responsibility as humans to lift each other up.  If we know better, we need to help others know better.  So to say that they should just move is light years from any understanding on what is going on among those who feel oppressed in our country.  

I really loved the meme that said Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, she didn't burn the bus down.  That was a good one.  It is true - she was part of a strategy to address injustice and it won in the end.  King said it: Hate breeds hate.  Darkness never overcomes darkness.

So I guess the question is "what are we going to learn from this?"  Is John Stewart right?  Will we all, "breathe a collective sigh of relief" when the news coverage goes away and we can get back to our main areas of concern?  Will we feel better when the burned-out CVS is rebuilt?  Or will we really address what is going on with racism in our country?  Something tells me that bodycams on policemen will only add fuel to the fire.  Just peruse the YouTube channels of violent police and gang  interactions.  Body cams will just give us more high adrenaline snippets of policemen and gangs  (completely void of any context) and only serving to stir up passions and the accompanying racism.  

It makes me think of the Tweet I saw:

"Telling me I'm obsessed with racism is like telling me I'm obsessed with swimming when I'm drowning."   

This comes from someone who lives it.  For many of us it is an 'issue' or 'problem' (as in "what do we do with the 'problem' of racism?)  What would I do if it defined me and where I lived and whether I could get a job to move out of an undesirable area?  

So I think now is a good time, as the tensions begin to subside, to start talking about how we move forward.  No more knee-jerk reactions.  No torching streets and throwing garbage - stomping on windshields and brawling in the street.  

Similarly, no uninvested semi-racist musings as we watch from the 'burbs and treat the whole issue like it is so easy to fix "if they would just move out."  If you are a Jesus follower it is actually part of the job . . . we are invested in justice and righteousness.

"No, Oh people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God."  Micah 6:8

And that starts with what we say.  So chose wisely.

Bruce Jenner's path to peace as a woman (with video link to 70's commercial)

The earliest memories I have of Bruce Jenner are of him crossing the finish line at the Olympic Decathlon - now the famous Wheaties Box cover.  If you can remember back that far, the jingle went something like, "pour it on, pour it on, you're a champion pour it on!"

It made me want to run very fast and throw long, pointed objects.  Of course at 6 or 7 that is your job.

So fast forward a few decades and you find Bruce Jenner on a reality TV program with several narcissistic women we know as the Kardashians.  He eventually eclipses their fame by revealing that he has all along wanted to become a woman. 

Wait.  What?

Yes, even during his first marriage he divulged to his wife that he wanted to become a woman.  

And why shouldn't he?  If that is what he really wants and what will help him to feel more alive, then why shouldn't he express everything that he feels within?  

And that is the million dollar question . . . but we don't realize it.  The question really isn't a question - it is a statement of our time.  We think expression of our desires brings happiness so Jenner should become a woman if he wants . . . but is expression helping or hurting?

Did we ever stop to think of what a frail sense of person hood and well-being is linked to unrestrained expression of our desires?  Is it possible that the road to happiness is paved with the difficulty of becoming something you are not, rather than nurturing something you already are?  Like an athlete you train to conform to the goal of something you are not yet.  We too readily accept that happiness is expression of who we are rather than its denial for something greater.   

When I was about 12 years old, I remember seeing Caddyshack on TV and there were a few risque moments that looked mysteriously interesting to my 12 year old eyes.  I remember running to check out a Bible to see if it was a sin to have sex before marriage.  I read a few things that indeed clarified sex should wait until marriage.  So I watched the rest of the movie and moved on with my life.

I figured God's rhythm should trump mine.

And it is still true.  Becoming more like Christ is the pathway to being at peace with yourself - even if it means not expressing your inner desires. 

Oh and by the way, this has nothing to do with sexual identity.  Bruce has not described himself as gay.  In fact what is so refreshing about this is how it confounds interviewers to have to separate Bruce's sense of identity from his sexual proclivities.  Hmmmm . . . your identity is not bound to your sexuality . . . *scratching chin* 

So Bruce should be able to do whatever he wants - it is a free country.  God has given us freedom to do what we please, just don't think that whatever we want to do gives us happiness with the unrestrained practice of it.  I want Bruce to be at peace with himself - but will changing into a woman really do it?  I don't think so.  The path to peace isn't external, it is internal.

Romans 12:1-2 sums it up nicely:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.   Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Check here for the Bruce Jenner commercial from the 70's.

God delivers us from our fear

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

    he delivered me from all my fears.

5 

Those who look to him are radiant;

    their faces are never covered with shame.

6 

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

    he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fearhim,

  and he delivers them.

Psalm 34:4-7

Every single one of us has been to the land of worry, regret and anxiety.  Something we did or didn't do.  A diagnosis.  An argument.  A decision about your future that doesn't rest in your hands.  It reminds us how fragile our peace (and sometimes our life) really is.  

Funny though, without these moments we don't realize how much we need God and His strength to get through it all.  In fact life can be an interesting pendulum in which we swing from self-centered assurance to broken God-dependence.  The best times seem to be in between when we know enough to lean on God but not have the urgent need to.

God does deliver us from our fears, but only if we trade our fears of this life with the proper fear of Him.  Sometimes we miss the subtlety of  the fear of God.  We aren't scared of God, just scared of losing the only good thing in our lives.  I have a healthy fear of my wife.  I am not scared of her, I have a healthy fear and respect for keeping our relationship good  (because I don't want to lose it). 

The same is with our fear of God.  We shouldn't fear 'losing' God but it is healthy to have a fear of ruining the way He works in our lives.  Sometimes God works through difficulty, so don't underestimate His love.  Don't feel like you need to add to His work through deceit or manipulation.  Don't take Him for granted.  God is not a lucky rabbit's foot.  You don't put coins in and expect blessing to come out.  God is someone who loves us and fights for us . . . and sometimes He has to fight our desire to put Him in a box.

So take courage today.  The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.  You have a God who fights for you.  Don't fear what your coworkers say.  Don't fear the prognosis.  Don't fear the upcoming performance review.  Don't fear that strained relationship.  Get your fears in order.  Pull yourself together and fear God.  Fear messing up the only good thing in your life and you will find that everything else falls into place.

In time God delivers us from all our fears.  He just needs to be God in your life in order for that to happen.

Tim Tebow as an Eagle

This totally goes against every shred of reason, but here goes:

If Tim Tebow signs with the Eagles, and . . .

If the Eagles assign him the role of quarterback (and not run blocker, punt team or locker room leader)  and . . .

If Chip Kelly doesn't trade up for Mariota this season . . .

I think Tim Tebow is going to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and I think he is going to be a huge surprise to everyone.  

I know I could eat those words, but you gotta live a little.  Listen to some of the rationale:

• Tom House - the quarterback whisperer - has worked out with Tebow for the last 18 months and says "he's fixed."
• This guy works like a horse.  His video of working out in college included pushing a Cadillac Escalade up a hill.  He is still working like a horse - this guy is going to make an impact.
• As ugly as it may seem sometimes, don't forget how many times he won in Denver when it seemed ridiculous.  This is a comeback kid.

I normally don't dabble too much in athlete prospecting.  Usually athletes that try to sincerely follow God in their lives wind up performing poorly post-conversion (Deion Sanders is a spectacular example of this).  But I don't know, this could be a very interesting year if all the factors come into place.

Look for it.

If Bradford is our quarterback just watch . . . He will get hurt.  Sanchez will step in and get hurt and we will all slap our foreheads and say, "oh no, Tebow."

And then it will happen.  Mourning will turn to dancing.  Gnashing of teeth will give way to trash talking.  Women will buy millions of pink Tebow jerseys.

And I will have united theology and sports as I watch God lift up the underdog once again.

 . . . but it is a very big set of ifs.

Inspired by friends who put gay on hold to follow Jesus

Over the last several weeks I have been involved in a project that sought to talk about a few 'hot-button' topics with high school students.  

Last night we led into the series and started with the discussion about homosexuality.  I felt like we needed to state the obvious:  The Church has been plenty guilty of judging those who struggle with homosexual temptation.  No one is headed for hell just because they struggle with sin - if that were true we are all in trouble.  In fact it is interesting that sometimes uber-judgmental Christians will quote from the New Testament book of Romans in pointing the finger at homosexuals.  They neglect to mention that in the same passage and the adjoining chapter about 20 other sins make the list.  Sins that we are all guilty of.

The verdict?  We are all messed up.  

The truth is that we will all spend the rest of our lives struggling to abstain from the sins that we want to wallow in.  If you think that it is your job as a Christian to judge anyone, you have missed the point of what Paul is saying in the very next sentence "whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."

Paul cranks it up a few verses later by saying . . .

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?"

So it seems like we should all help each other stay out of sin through kindness and patience.  We hold hands with each other and walk in repentance.  Whether our sin du jour is homosexual acts, using people to get what you want, cruising porn sites on your phone or not reporting your tips at the end of your shift - we help each other walk away from sin by being invested in each others' lives.  If you aren't invested, you have no voice.  

It went well and we had hundreds of teenagers (gay, straight and whatever labels are flying around out there)  engaged in serious discussion about what it means to follow God.  It was kind of nice to hear from all over Southeastern Pa that we could talk about something so divisive and people walked away feeling respected.

But that isn't the reason that I write this.  I am writing this because I am so deeply impressed by the Christians who struggle with homosexual desire that have helped us develop this material.  One is a student in High School, one is in his mid-twenties and the other has a family of his own.  They are all seeking God's best and that involves abstaining from their homosexual attractions.

Understatement alert:  This is no walk in the park.  None of them are cured.  Daily they struggle to resist temptation as well as labels that society gives them.  I am very deeply moved at the depth of their character and commitment to Christ.  Their faith is easily deeper and stronger than my own.  Truly, I look up to them and want to be like them in their commitment to their faith.

And this never gets talked about.  You need to hear this.  Others need to hear this.  There are people who love Jesus so much that they have put their sexual drives on hold to follow God.  That is hugely inspiring to me.  One of the guys shared with me that there is no switch, no counseling and no pill to take to make it all go away.  He never chose homosexual desire and he would love to wake up tomorrow with the entire struggle gone.

And this was the most interesting point:

He said that for years he thought that maybe his healing would come if he just did something right - right praying, right faith . . . right something.  But the healing isn't freedom from temptation.  The wholeness and healing is in how close you are drawn to God as the result of obedience.  Obedience in the midst of temptation means you have to trust entirely on God's strength.  The wholeness is in how dramatically it illustrates how weak we are and how much we really need God.  It is because of the weaknesses that we have that we have to reach out to God to make it through.  So in a way obedience makes us stronger through our weakness.

Paul also had a difficulty that he prayed for deliverance from . . . and God did not 'heal' him.  Some think it was a medical condition with his eyes, but look at what Paul says about his affliction:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.        2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Sometimes when the 'healing' doesn't come, it is a pathway to a depth of relationship with God that others will only wish they knew.  I am so grateful to be inspired by these men and their devotion to God.  I hope this helps you understand the depth of faith among our gay brothers and sisters in Christ.  This needs to be heard.

Bigger than the Clintons - don't let the race cloud the Grace.

Just so you know, I am a fan of opinion - good, well-thought-out, sincere and invested opinion.  It may not be what I believe or think to be right, but I love to hear people's views on everything from religion to politics.  Part of the excitement about being alive is hearing what people think can improve the world.  I am neither red nor blue - kind of an omnivore when it comes to ideas.

That is why when I see that Hillary Clinton is running for President, it gets me eager to hear what people think.  There are going to be a ton of people who love her and want a woman as president and a ton of people who think the exact opposite.  There will be the usual dividing lines of left and right and the accompanying camp-mentality that divides people (which makes this subject so intolerable for many).  

So just ease up people - life is too short to think that someone hates you because they disagree.

Let's enjoy the drama being played out in front of us.  As I was thinking about the upcoming primary season, I immediately thought that people would be sick of Bush and Clinton again.  When else in politics have there been so many re-runs?

(. . . well, actually there are those stints of divine-right rulers from Europe.  Names like Charles, James and Henry that dominated the news for millennia.  But they got to power by intrigue, back-room dealing, murder and playing on people's understanding of God and spirituality.)

This is totally different, right?

We are talking about democratic elections here.  People have the right to choose who they want to have lead them.  And it looks like we are about to go down the road of potentially choosing another Clinton in the White House.

And then it hit me - 1992 is almost 25 years ago.

Weird.  I work with High School Students.  None of them remember Operation Desert Storm.  None of them remember Ross Perot, Dan Quayle, "I created the Internet," and Monica Lewinsky.  

The last time a Clinton was in the White House was 15 years ago.  Is it possible that some younger voters will look at the upcoming White House run with fresh eyes and see only a woman running for president?  They won't look at the name Clinton with the rosy glow of the Dot Com bubble (we had a tax surplus?!) or the of the negative baggage of the Clinton Whitewater scandal.   Crazy to think that they might look at her and think . . . "oh yeah, the Grandmom."

Admittedly that is a small chunk of the voting public - and a chunk that routinely doesn't show up to vote.  Those who remember 1992 may side with Barbara Bush who has had enough of a Bush or a Clinton in the White House.  It seems some may think it is time for a change.  (As proof, I dropped the link for SNL's latest Hillary sketch at the end of the article.)

Here is what every Christian should definitely be careful of:  Christian political doomsday conversations.

Remember God works what He works with or without the White House's consent.  We won't win or lose God's favor in an election cycle.  The greatest democratic experiment took place when God gave us the free will to choose the way of Grace instead of the grave.  Work hard to see as many people come to settle their accounts with God and have peace with their Father in Heaven.  How the budget gets spent is really fluff in comparison.  

And remember that some of those conversations about eternity will start in the political arena.  So be nice.  Pause before you post - you could be shutting someone down with what you say - don't let the race cloud the Grace.

Of course . . . we can have a little fun, as long as everyone is laughing.

Here is the link to the Hillary sketch on SNL last weekend.  


 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Romans 2:3-4

Could you forgive the person who shot your son 8 times?

One of the biggest stories to emerge from the Walter Scott shooting in South Carolina has to do with Walter's mother.  

In case you hadn't heard, last Saturday a routine traffic stop led to a scuffle and then shots as Walter Scott ran away from policeman Michael Slager.  Slager fired eight shots as Scott ran through an abandoned lot.  Walter Scott lost his life after being pulled over for a broken taillight.    

Now I understand that nothing is ever that simple.  Great question is why were they wrestling in the midst of all of this.  I am sure both of them contributed to the encounter, but it shouldn't have ended this way.  A man is dead.  A son is gone.  A father is missed.

But the real story is his mother.
When Anderson Cooper interviewed his mother after the incident, I was struck by her faith.

When they asked her about the incident, she obviously showed that she is really grieving.  Cooper asks her about her son and how she feels.  Judy Scott said,  "He was a loving son, a loving father, he cared about his family . . .  No matter what happens it will not replace my son."

When asked if justice will be done she answered,  "I believe in God . . . The God I serve is able . . . God will fix it."

She even alluded to the person who shot the video, calling him the "the ram in the bush."  This is a reference to Abraham who was about to lose his son to a sacrifice.  God provided a ram caught in a thicket.  It is a symbol of God's mercy.  I can't believe that she is even able to see God's mercy in all of this.  I doubt that I could at this point.

I especially love how she models forgiveness.

"I am supposed to be really angry and upset and raging and all that but I can't because of the love of God in me . . . I feel forgiveness in my heart even for the guy who shot and killed my son"

How?

I would probably know mentally that I need to forgive, but there is no way that I could feel forgiveness in my heart.  Not at this stage.  I would want revenge.  I could not be as forgiving.  I am not saying I am right.  She most definitely is an inspiration in her faith.

I just wish since that such a dear, sweet woman didn't have to be the one to show us how it is done.  She doesn't deserve this.


Watch the video here

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/04/09/ac-sot-walter-scott-mother-sc-police-shooting.cnn-ap